


Prognosis Unknown

by Christy (wildchild)



Series: Alissa's Interests [7]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Highlander: The Series, House M.D., Star Trek
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-10
Updated: 2013-06-10
Packaged: 2017-12-14 12:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/837113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildchild/pseuds/Christy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>House has a new case- Buffy and Faith are dying and noone knows why</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR15  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 1/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Knight Fall” for House  
 **Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House  
 **Author’s Note** : The roots and herbs mentioned in this chapter do help with what I say they do, and the Chinese root is a real root as well.  
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
There were raised voices coming from the direction of Dr. House’s office. Not that this was entirely unusual with the typically factious doctor, but more the subject matter at hand.   
  
“I swear, House- you’ve become more of an asshole since rehab, if that’s even possible,” the brunette declared, throwing her hands in the air as she paced back and forth in front of his desk.  
  
House just grinned as he reclined back in his chair, tossing the BOUO up and down and waiting. He knew she’d eventually quit being pissed off at him and get around to telling him why she was really here.  
  
“Look, I know that when you found out about Immortals-“ she started.  
  
“You mean, the part where your bike crashed and I didn’t know that you were going to come back to life when I rescued you? That part?” he asked sarcastically.  
  
Alissa sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Yes, that. I’m not here because I explained things to you and then let things afterwards get physical. I actually have a case I want you to take on,” she said, displaying two folders, but held them slightly out of reach when he grabbed for them.  
  
“First, I do believe no one argued when we ended up fucking like bunnies until you left for one of your little jaunts and didn’t come back. Second, how will I know if the peanut gallery and I will take the case if you don’t let me look at the files?” he demanded.  
  
“Because it won’t be you and your team,” she informed him. “It’ll just be you.”  
  
That made Greg stand up and walk over to her side of the desk, leaning on his cane a little heavier than usual. This didn’t escape her notice, by any means. They may have only been fucking like bunnies, as he’d put it, a few years ago, but many centuries of experience, plus a little honing from Lightman and Loker in the past few months had her reading his unspoken pain.  
  
“How the hell do you expect me to diagnose a case without my fellows?” he snapped.  
  
“Because this isn’t your normal kind of case, House, and I don’t know how well your team- hell, even you- will be able to wrap your heads around some of what we’ll have to tell you. Rupert isn’t very happy about this, but I assured him you were the best at being able to figure out what’s going wrong with them,” she advised.  
  
Greg’s eyes narrowed. “No deal. No team, no diagnosis.”  
  
Alissa’s grin turned feral as she went toe to toe with him. “And I think Dr. Cuddy might be able to change your mind.”  
  
“Why should Cuddy scare me?” he countered.  
  
“Because I’ve already informed her about the multimillion dollar check I’m donating to the hospital to insure that you’ll help,” she said with a smirk.  
  
“Blackmail doesn’t look pretty on you,” he snapped again as she laid the files on his desk.  
  
“Don’t worry- I’ve got a way to sweeten the deal for you too,” she promised.  
  
“Really?” he said, an evil grin covering his face moments before he pulled her to him and kissed her soundly before releasing her again.  
  
“As much as I would love to have you in my bed again, I don’t think my leg or my roommate could handle it. Wilson doesn’t seem to like screamers,” House confided with a grin.  
  
Alissa chuckled as she straightened her suit again. “No, I was meaning that I have something for you to help things along- a natural way for you to deal with your pain. It’s a potion I made,” she explained, handing him a small vial of viscous pale blue liquid.  
  
“Oh, so now it’s magic and voodoo? Next you’ll be telling me aliens exist,” he quipped as he took the vial.  
  
She tried to hold back a laugh. “Well, considering that you now believe, after treating me like a lab rat for a couple weeks, that people can live forever, generally speaking, how much of a stretch is magic or even aliens, for that matter?” she asked, then waved his answer away as inconsequential. “Regardless, though, it’s a purely natural concoction- you can run as many tests on it that you like. Nothing in that compound will harm you, but it will relieve the pain in your leg without narcotic addiction. And I’ll make you some more so you can concentrate on the case,” she explained with a sympathetic smile.  
  
“I’ll look into it and let you know. Is your number still the same?” he called out as she started to leave.  
  
“Never had a reason to change it,” she said with a saucy grin as she sauntered out.  
  
House watched her go then sat back down and stared at the vial she’d given him. _What the hell,_ he thought as he shrugged, took the stopper out of the bottle, and downed its contents.  
  
*****  
  
Alissa opened, then locked the door behind her, rubbing the back of her neck. Everyone from Giles and Willow to the covens and even her own self were baffled about this. She heard coughing coming from one of the guest rooms on the first floor and winced. Why was she spared from whatever was killing them while the two main, bravest Slayers ever born were slowly dying? Sighing deeply, she walked through her house, nodding at those who filtered through that she recognized as she headed over to see how Buffy and Faith were doing.  
  
Giles was coming out of Buffy’s room as she walked up. “So how are they? Any changes?” she asked softly.  
  
He took his glasses off to clean them again while he considered his answer. “Not so much as I can tell. Illyria says that this isn’t anything that she recognizes, but, as she says ‘the scum have ways of doing things that were beneath us’. I know you said you haven’t seen anything like this either. How did things with Doctor House go?”  
  
Alissa guided him towards the kitchen and fixed him some tea. Handing it to him while she poured herself a drink, she said “I think I might have caught his interest-I gave him a sample of the pain potion I’ve made for myself for centuries. I’ve had to modify it a bit lately, since a lot of the herbs and plants I used to use aren’t around as much or aren’t as potent as they used to be. I have a small garden that Willow’s helping me out with that should alleviate that, but according to my botanists, that may still take some time. Are any of the herbs the Covens been giving the two girls helping?”  
  
“They said that the yarrow root seems to be keeping down the internal bleeding and the cassia is helping with the kidney failure…they’re still waiting to hear back from our Chinese contacts about the _Bao yuan da huang tang_ root, since you said that you remember it helping you before. But nothing seems to help with the nausea or the unusual weight loss. We need to know if Gregory House will help us or not. What did his boss say about all this?”  
  
Alissa took a sip of her scotch. “Dr. Cuddy was ecstatic about the endowment I’m willing to donate to Plainsboro in exchange for borrowing her number one diagnostician for a few weeks. And, from what information I’ve been able to gather, his second in command, a Doctor Foreman, is just as good as House, if not as experienced yet. And that’s what I suggested to her, with the caveat that it was all moot- excepting the endowment, of course- if House doesn’t want to take the case.”  
  
Giles grinned. “But your instincts say that he’ll take it...how can you be so sure?”  
  
“Because if there’s one thing I learned about House, he loves a puzzle. And I would say what’s going on with Buffy and Faith is a mighty big puzzle, wouldn’t you?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR15  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 2/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Knight Fall” for House  
 **Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House  
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
Wilson stumbled out into the kitchen the next morning to the scent of eggs, onions and peppers cooking. House wandered between the stove and counter, adding and mixing things into the pan while simultaneously pouring over a file and making notes onto it.  
  
“I didn’t know your team had a new case- and since when did you start bringing your work home with you?” James asked, sitting down and grabbing a forkful of the plate House set in front of him.  
  
“It’s not a case for my team; this _special_ project came with the stipulation that I handle it all on my own,” Greg informed him with a frown.  
  
Wilson’s eyebrows went up at that statement. “That doesn’t sound like something you’d do lightly, so what gives? What’s in the files that’s convinced Gregory House to work on his own?”  
  
“Alissa asked me to work on this case,” House admitted softly as he took a pen and made a notation in the file. “Apparently she knows the two girls involved. Either that or she just _magically_ seems to be in the area at the same time as these women, but I kinda doubt that.”  
  
“Wait a minute- Alissa? The one I ragged you about from a few years ago back when you were giving me grief about Amber? That Alissa? She must’ve been better than I thought to-“  
  
“More like she’s the head of the MacKenzie Conglomerate and made a sizable donation to the hospital so Cuddy said I have to play nice and take this case, even though the damn files Alissa gave me are far too sparse for this to be the girls’ complete medical history. Which begs the question, why. What are they hiding?” he grumbled as he set down his own plate and walked around the island to sit down next to his friend.  
  
Wilson paused, fork halfway to his mouth. “What- no cane?”  
  
House cursed mentally. Whatever had been in that potion Alissa had given him, he’d totally forgotten about the pain, between that, the mystery she’d laid on his desk and his latest cooking endeavor. “Oh, just woke up to a day where I can get around the kitchen fine without it. I’ll give her a call once I’ve finished making case notes. Don’t worry, Jimmy- I can get across the street without you needing to hold my hand.”  
  
Luckily, House’s distraction gambit worked. “So, hold on a sec- the Alissa you helped out with her little bike accident a few years ago is the MacKenzie head? How the hell did you run into her in the first place?”  
  
*****  
  
Alissa stopped in at her office to look over some paperwork, as well as a confusing email sent rather anonymously to her office account. The email showed some shadowy, vague photos of what looked like it could be Duncan MacLeod. The accompanying message read **Do you really know who and what your friends are?**  
  
She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, already tight with tension, and made a mental note to ask one of her more accomplished computer techs to trace the email back to the source. Alissa might be good at the programming and design side of things, but even back in the days when she was helping out in Sunnydale, she’d been more than happy to leave the hacking to Willow. And, with how bad things were right now, she was too distracted to try and concentrate on something that complex.  
  
 _Me? Hell,_ all _the Slayers in town are distracted by what could be killing Buffy and Faith and why the rest of us aren’t getting sick_ , she mused as her cell phone rang.  
  
“MacKenzie. House, what can I do for you?”  
  
“Well, for starters, how about the full histories on these two women? And who the hell names their child Buffy?” House demanded.  
  
Alissa laughed. “Your guess is as good as mine. How about coming over for dinner- does seven work for you? I can explain everything to you then,” she told him, typing out a brief email and sending it off to him.  
  
“Seven should be fine,” he agreed, looking over the email she’d just sent. “So, why two sets of directions?”  
  
“Because I wasn’t sure if you’d be coming from work or your new condo,” she explained, trying her best not to yawn over the phone. She’d been up far too late last night researching probable causes with Giles and Willow before having to head to a board meeting early this morning, and it was taking its toll on her.  
  
“Well, from what I can tell, I should be able to make it. Just don’t leave anything out of your explanation- I can’t diagnose without all the information about them,” he warned her.  
  
“Yes, I know, and as you’ve said repeatedly, everyone lies,” she responded with a sigh. “House, by the time I’m done explaining everything to you, you might actually wish for the pretty little lies.”  
  
“I doubt it. Nothing can be too bad if it means the patients live,” he countered.  
  
“I’ll remember you said that. I’ll see you at seven, then,” she said, hanging up before rising and stretching. _Why do I have the feeling this is going to be a very long night? Been spending way too much damn time around stubborn men!_  
  
*****  
  
House leaned up against the doorjamb while Alissa changed after dinner. Tilting his head back, he stared at the ceiling as he heard the rustle of clothing and the clink of metal. “So, you honestly think this show and tell will help convince me?” he asked with a smirk.  
  
Alissa popped her head around the closet door. “Seemed to help the first time around,” she stated before popping her head back inside. A moment later, she walked out clad in black from head to toe; the two kris blades in her hands were slid into sheathes strapped to the sides of her thighs. House indulged in a little mental fantasy involving her and those leather pants she was wearing sliding down with him bent over behind her, while Alissa walked up to the mirror. Murmuring a charm, she ended up with her hair braided close to her scalp. She tilted her head from one side to the other then, satisfied with the results, turned back to him, another dose of the potion in her hand.  
  
“Drink this. Where we’re going, the things that might attack can smell weakness and enjoy exploiting it to the fullest extent possible- something you all have in common. I can’t have you dying on me, even if this might be the only way to convince you I’m telling you the truth about who and what we all are.”  
  
“MacKenzie, the main reason I believed you about your Immortality was that, in my professional opinion, it appears to be a genetic abnormality passed down in a way that science hasn’t quite discovered yet. But trying to explain vampires and demons to me- I look forward to the demonstration,” he said with a smirk that faded around the edges as Alissa pulled a katana from off the wall.  
  
Sliding her hair to the side, she slid it into a spine sheath with the obvious air of having done this far too many times before. Throwing on a duster on top of all that, she turned to him with a smile as she watched him swallow down the potion. “So, ready to be a believer? Oh, and take this,” she said, handing him a stake. “Not about to leave you empty handed and unable to defend yourself.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR15  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 3/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander/Star Trek  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Knight Fall” for House  
 **Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House  
 **Author’s Note** : I know I haven’t had a lot of Huddy so far, but there’s a bit of plot setup that needs to get put in before we can get to House and Cuddy naughty goodness. And yes, I know the only Star Trek bit right now is Q, but there’s more reason for including it in the crossover than just him and his background with Alissa.  
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
 _Why does everything have to be a fight with intelligent people?_ Alissa wondered angrily as she fought two of the vampires that had apparently heard about the influx of Slayers and Potentials in the area. _What happened to the days when people believed in the monsters under the bed and trusted people that were trained in this kind of thing to keep them safe? But **NO** \- Mr. Science and Logic has to be shown what kind of things we protect him from!_  
  
She was so pissed off with House, she decided to play with the vamps a little bit more than usual to get some of her aggression out. She may not let Greg see how irritated she was by his insistence that he needed more than her word on the whole situation, but she was sure going to take it out on whatever they ran across tonight.  
  
*****  
  
House shivered at the feral grin on Alissa’s face as she fought the vampires. _She’s really **enjoying** this. From what little she told me about The Game, she doesn’t like having to fight other Immortals. But this- she revels in it!_  
  
He winced as a slightly larger than average vampire took the place of the two she’d just dusted and backhanded her into some old crates in the warehouse. Moments later, though, she’d jumped right back up, a sneer clear on her face.  
  
“Okay, now you’ve gotten me well and pissed- thinking that just ‘cuz I’m one lil ol’ Slayer without any backup that you can get one up on me,” she commented to the vampiric behemoth as she pulled her katana out. “Well, hon, you picked the wrong night to fuck with me. I’m trying to find out what’s wrong with my sisters and since you won’t help me with that, I guess I’m just gonna have to make you hurt.”  
  
Greg just stood there out of the way like she’d ordered, marveling at how swiftly she beat the vampire back, even though he easily outweighed her by at least 100 pounds and half a foot or so in height, at least. He was so busy watching her literally cut him down to size, he missed the vamp sneaking up behind him.  
  
*****  
  
“Dammit, House, you were supposed to go for the heart, not the shoulder,” Alissa scolded, helping him to the ground floor guest room of her Jersey brownstone, which was closer to the warehouse than the house she had Buffy, Faith and the Potentials at right now.  
  
“Well, I didn’t expect her to turn at the last minute! Besides, you’ve gotten your wish- I’m definitely a believer now,” he snarked as she laid him out on the bed and handed him a blanket.  
  
“Peachy! Could you try not to get yourself killed the next time you want proof of something? Now, you can either let me take those pants off so I can look at how serious it is, or I’ll go take a quick shower while you do it yourself,” she informed him briskly.  
  
He smirked as he looked her over while she pulled a bottled water out of the mini fridge in the room.  
  
“If I’d known you wanted back into my pants that badly-“ he started.  
  
“Can it, House. I was a field nurse during the Great War. I think I can take care of you in an entirely professional manner,” she snapped.  
  
He grinned widely and smirked at her. “But, Nurse, what if I don’t want you to?”  
  
Alissa closed her eyes and breathed deeply for a moment, chugging some of her water and rubbing the bridge of her nose while she tried to calm down. She was worn out, stressed and was now remembering how well House liked pushing peoples’ buttons whenever he could. And, if she really admitted it to herself, she was still a little scared about how close he’d come to dying. She had gotten lazy when it came to patrolling - what with most of her friends either being able to take care of themselves, knowing full well what went on, or being various kinds of immortal, it was kind of understandable from her point of view.  
  
Finally marshalling her thoughts for a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at House. “I’m going to go upstairs and change, then come back down and look at how bad the damage is,” she told him as she headed towards the master suite that took up half of the second floor. She wasn’t that surprised when she found out who was waiting for her on her bed when she walked in. She'd been half expecting him to have shown up at some point during this whole bit of chaos and insanity, as it was, as he was wont to do as of late for whatever mercurial reason his twisted mind could come up with.  
  
“You know,” Q said, examining his nails while he reclined against her pillows, “for all your protestations and grumblings about this kind of thing, you have to admit that you work better when some people know and understand at least the Slayer side of things with you. And you can't argue that this one is a good mortal to have knowing both sides of the story.”  
  
Alissa snorted, though she did concede his point to herself as she shed her sweaty clothes, cleaned and replaced her knives and sword where they belonged and headed into the shower. Turning it on, she braced her hands against the wall and let the hot water pound away at her. It began washing away some of the stress, dirt and blood as she heard Q follow her into the room.  
  
“So what do you want me to do about things now?” she wanted to know. “The only reason I finally found out it was my Q powers and not my supposed Immortality keeping me alive was due to that run in with Guinan in San Francisco over a century ago. I know you can help and apparently was my mentor when I was younger, but I don’t need you trying to tell me how things need to be run in my life. I thought this was why you said I went back to that point in time to live up to whenever it is that we met- so I can live a mostly normal, Immortal-based human existence, seeing what all they had to offer. So why are you trying to screw with it now?” she demanded as she soaped up and quickly rinsed off.  
  
Q held his tongue, because the younger version of the woman in front of him had threatened him, on pain of death at the hands of his ex-lover Q, to never let on by word or deed exactly how and when he and she had met. As she’d put it, “I don’t need your fucked up version of what’s fun and right for humans interfering with this little life experiment. Just keep an eye on things, please?” He’d never admit to anyone- with the exception of Quinn, perhaps- that it was her “please” that eventually made him agree. He’d seen how furious and upset she’d been with him when she’d confronted him at the remains of Wolf 359, and he’d never wanted to see her like that again. And while she seemed to have everything in hand so far, especially with her marriage to Jareth now a matter of public record, she was still his responsibility, according to the Continuum. So he simply admired his former student as she wandered naked back into the bedroom and then the closet, coming out clad in a t shirt and jeans.  
  
“Look, stick around if you’d like to, but you know I have to go see how bad his leg is,” she commented as she slid a small blade in her boot and grabbed the nearby first aid kit.  
  
Raising an eyebrow at the armament, he asked “Do you always go around armed in your own house when the only other person is an infirmed mortal?”  
  
“Always. I never know what might happen, and before you ask, I tried to look at the possibilities once. I got nothing for my troubles but one of the world’s worst migraines. Guess it was my way to protect myself from standing out too much as a weirdo among weirdos,” she replied with a derisive sneer as she headed back downstairs.  
  
*****  
  
“You know you didn’t have to leave,” were the first words out of House as she walked back in. Alissa just rolled her eyes and didn’t respond as she laid out what she needed, then folded the blanket back enough so she could see the wound high up on his inner thigh. Thankfully, she’d dusted the vampire before the knife got too close to the femoral artery. Still, though….  
  
“The vampire had medical training,” she murmured as she began cleaning out the wound.  
  
“I figured as much,” House agreed. “Why else would she throw me to the floor and go for the thigh rather than the neck like you’d said?”  
  
Alissa looked up from her task momentarily. “Either medical training or she was one of those who liked to play with her food,” she commented before bending back to start sewing the gash closed.  
  
Once she was done and had cleaned up after herself, she placed the blanket back the way it had been and handed House a smoky grey potion that he eyed warily.  
  
“It’s just something to help you sleep and combat any possible infection,” she explained, as he shrugged before downing the contents.  
  
*****  
  
House woke up the next morning to hear Alissa on the phone with someone and the scent of fresh ground coffee in the air. After checking his dressing and stitches, he grabbed his cane and headed towards the sound of her voice. He found her hanging up the phone while sipping on a cup of coffee and looking over some paperwork. At his quirked eyebrow, she explained that it had been Dr. Wilson who had just called and she’d told the oncologist that House had crashed at her place because it had been far too late for him to head home when they’d finished going over the case.  
  
“I forget sometimes,” he drawled “that you have a lot more practice at lying to people than most.”  
  
Alissa frowned as she nibbled on her toast. “Only when it affects the health and well being of unknowing mortals,” she replied as she poured him a cup of coffee and left cream and sugar in front of him. She smirked at the obvious pleasure he got from it and explained. “It’s Jamaican Blue coffee…I’ve had a small plantation there for generations,” she said as her cell phone rang. “Excuse me, I have to take this,” she told him, answering her phone with a brief “MacKenzie. Ah, good to hear back from you.” What followed next was her going on in a language House recognized by syntax only as Asiatic as she headed outside to relative privacy while he sat at the kitchen island and sipped his coffee.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR15  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 4/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Knight Fall” for House  
 **Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House  
 **Author's Note** : A big thanks in prodding this story along goes to [Duchess](http://www.tthfanfic.org/Author-3799/Duchess.htm) who reminded me how long it had been, timewise, in the story...thanks hon! (Oh, and for the record, the Degas I pictured her having is the one of his unfinished ones that's part of the Phillips Collection in Washington DC [[La Répétition au foyer de la danse](http://www.phillipscollection.org/collection/browse-the-collection/index.aspx?id=2001.014.0001)])  
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
House spent most of the morning combining the notes he already had with the more complete medical files Alissa had given him while she apparently continued to work on her business call details. She had come back into the kitchen around midday to make them both lunch and had explained before heading back to her office that she’d take him to see the Slayers later than afternoon. So that was why he was now wandering around the house trying to find her (read: snooping around like normal). He found a small library in one room, with floor to ceiling shelves full of books on three walls and full length mirrors bracketing a fireplace with a very nice Degas over it. He’d already seen the dining and living rooms by the time he found Alissa in her study. Her head lay atop her folded arms and whatever paperwork she’d been working on, while a screensaver of various starscapes played on her computer screen.  
  
Walking up, he leaned over and shook her gently. She just mumbled incoherently, but didn’t wake up. So he just shrugged and shook her shoulder more firmly. Alissa’s head shot up while she muttered “No, Momma, I have to study for the Academy exam first,” before her eyes cleared and she took notice of the good doctor.  
  
“Sorry to disturb your studying and beauty sleep, but it’s nearly four and I’d like to take a look at my patients before they decide to die on me,” he informed her wryly.  
  
“I was just going over some paperwork. Why would you think I was studying?” she asked as he explained about her comment. She got a look in her eyes as if the phrase sounded familiar, but the light died almost as soon as it was there as she shook her head in confusion. “I can’t remember why I’d say that, but let me change and I’ll take you to see the girls.”  
  
*****  
  
House finished his initial examination of Buffy, who seemed to Alissa to be the worse off of the two. Since the Immortal was the only one with, as House put it, “a modicum of medical training”, she was drafted as his assistant, writing down whatever he dictated to her. After finishing with Buffy, he advised that she keep her electrolytes up, because he didn’t want to add dehydration to the list of things wrong with her. Buffy had just looked from Alissa to House and back again before asking if he was always this friendly.  
  
“No, sometimes I’m downright evil,” he commented as he walked towards Faith’s room.  
  
The younger Slayer seemed positively glowing in comparison, but she still didn’t have the energy to sit up without help from Willow and Kennedy.  
  
“So Doc, you gonna make me all better so I can have the pep to jump your bones?” she flirted with a grin before coughing again.  
  
House was busy pressing his stethoscope against various points on her back, so the women assumed he’d been too busy to hear the question.  
  
“From what Ms. Mogul over there told me, your Slayer strength might break me. And Lord knows that girl gave it her best shot,” he said deadpan while Alissa gaped at him and Willow spit out the water she’d just sipped. He simply looked up at Alissa, dictating something about Faith’s oxygen levels before stopping and studying the older woman steadily for a moment.  
  
“That reminds me- what **DID** you do with those leather handcuffs I had you bring over that one night? I tried to find something similar around here, but I didn’t have any luck,” he commented, packing up his doctor’s bag.  
  
Alissa smirked as she looked him right in the eye. “They were custom made for me in Budapest quite a few years ago. My lover at the time wanted a durable pair, so I spelled them to last longer. I may have to go look for them, but you can borrow them if you’d like.”  
  
“And why do you think I’d want to borrow them in the first place?” he challenged, getting up and stalking over to her, cane forgotten for the moment.  
  
Alissa set the clipboard down and leaned in close to his ear. “Because you projected your thoughts when you asked about them,” she whispered. “Oh, so very naughty, House- wanting to tie Cuddy up and drive her wild for a little bit.”  
  
House just smirked at her before commenting “I don’t know if you can talk Cuddy into a threesome, but you’re welcome to try. I think it would be the highlight of Wilson’s day to come back to that. Hell, he might even learn something,” as he walked out. Alissa stepped over to Faith’s bedside to retrieve the cane and bag that House had forgotten and looked up to see the three young women regarding her with varying degrees of interest on their faces.  
  
“Leather cuffs? And didn’t you tell me last year that you’d met Loker in Budapest back in the day?” Faith asked with a grin. “Damn, lady, give this youngin some advice, pointers, somethin’! Hell, I’m sure you could even give Red here some tips,” she said, jerking a thumb in the direction of the witch, who turned about as red as her hair.  
  
Everyone laughed at that, the levity breaking up the tension, even if only for a moment or two.  
  
*****  
  
House looked over his glasses at Alissa as she bustled around the kitchen of what he could only call a manor house out on a large plot on the outskirts of Princeton. She’d found him in the kitchen, going over her shorthand and grumbling about having to write out his own charts. She’d simply walked over, pulled out a beer and handed it to him before quietly starting dinner. Thankfully, Giles had shooed most of the Potentials out for patrols, so she only had to worry about making dinner for three normal appetites and two Slayer accelerated ones, since Buffy and Faith’s stomachs seemed to only be able to handle soups at this point. Alissa laid her hands on the kitchen counter and fought back the desire to cry. No one seemed to remember when the group had started noticing the two women getting a little slower or having a little less energy until the frantic phone call she’d gotten from Giles about three months before. Apparently Buffy had managed to fool them for longer than Faith by the simple expediency of bringing the Buffy bot back online when she’d started feeling weaker, but when Faith had collapsed on patrol, the truth had come out.  
  
Over a simple meal of chicken marsala, the small group tried their best to keep the conversation to mundane topics, though anecdotes about some of the Slayers still tended to pop up from time to time. But after the dinner had been cleared away and Alissa had passed out drinks to everyone, it turned back to the serious topic on hand.  
  
“First, can someone explain to me why the medication being given has been mostly homeopathic in nature?” House asked.  
  
Giles pulled off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before answering. “As best as we can figure, the way modern medicine is made, the Slayer system metabolizes it far in advance of it being able to take effect. Since Alissa and my own notes have both made mention of basic remedies having been useful with Slayers in the past, we felt we could at least try that method in absence of any other that wasn’t working.”  
  
House murmured in understanding, making a couple of notes before looking over at Alissa. “So then we try to overload the system- use super doses of corticosteroids to get the inflammation from the sarciodosis down and if that doesn’t help, adding some methotrexate to the mix might. Can you get me access to them or do I need to ask Cuddy for it?”  
  
“Give me a list of the exact corticosteroids you need and what dosages and I’ll see what I can do,” Alissa agreed.  
  
“Wait a sec! How can we be sure this whole chemo kinda idea will even work?” Willow demanded as Kennedy rubbed her arm, trying to calm her.  
  
Alissa simply sat back and observed the young witch as House snapped back with a comment about how qualified he was and how Alissa had brought him in to help in the first place. The older woman had known from the moment she’d been introduced to the Scooby Gang that Willow would one day become an Immortal- she’d even warned Rupert about it. But she’d also known better than to try and convince the sweet teenager to stay back on the sidelines, so she’d just kept an eye on all of them and had been thankful when Willow had started studying magic. Unfortunately, she’d been busy dealing with her own personal demons and hadn’t heard about how dark Willow had gotten until it had already been taken care of. She knew that Giles had recently begun practicing swordplay with Willow and a few others under the excuse that magic wouldn’t necessarily solve every attack, but there was still an air of youth, if not innocence, still around the redhead. Alissa knew from the case with Lightman how appetizing youth appeared to certain kinds of Immortals, especially since at nearly 30, Willow still could pass for a student if she needed to once she joined The Game. Just then, she saw a fuzziness overlay the scene of her kitchen, clearing to show one with Willow sitting and laughing with Spike, rather than Kennedy, her hair now chin length and angled, rather than shoulder length and curling. The Immortal looked around as she sometimes could in these visions? memories? (She was never truly certain either way.) Willow and Spike were soon joined by an older man who looked a lot like one of the men who’d been in the papers as one of those last seen with a scientist in San Francisco in 1986. The scientist, a Gillian Taylor, had been protesting her whales being put back into their habitat at the height of hunting season, something Alissa had in common with her. She saw/heard the other Willow greet the man as “Ambassador” before the vision was broken by Giles shaking her arm.  
  
“Alissa, are you okay? You went rather pale there for a moment,” he informed her.  
  
House got up and crouched over beside her, shining a penlight in her eyes. “Pupils dilated,” he commented before picking up her glass and sniffing it. “Nothing here but some damn good scotch- so why the shock, MacKenzie?”  
  
“There’s nothing to worry about, House,” she insisted, chin held high. “I sometimes go into these fugue states where I get brief visions of things that are going to happen to me later in life. I have no idea what triggers them or even of _when_ they’re supposed to be from sometimes.”  
  
“Can you find out how to cure them? Anything to help Buffy and Faith?” Kennedy demanded, grabbing Alissa by the arm.  
  
The older woman looked down at Kennedy’s hand on her arm until the younger Slayer pulled it away as if she’d been burned. “No, I can’t. This isn’t the kind of vision I can guide along in any way I would like to. When I get them, I know better than to poke and prod- therein lies madness and me prostrate with a massive migraine for days at a time,” she explained, hoping the group wouldn’t ask what the vision _had_ been about.  
  
“Well, if it has nothing to do with the case we’re dealing with right now, you can all hold hands and discuss it later. Right now I need the media darling here to get on with the getting of the meds for these little angels,” House informed the group.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR18  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with. I also do not own the concept of what Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln were up to after “Assignment: Earth”- that’s something Greg Cox came up with for his book, but I’m borrowing some of the timeline stuff he mentions.  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 5/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander/Star Trek  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Knight Fall” for House  
 **Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House  
 **Author’s Note** : Well, I’ve finally gotten to the point that I can fill in the blanks about where Star Trek comes in to play and some House/Cuddy goodness as well. :)  
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
Wilson came into House’s office a few days later to find said doctor twirling his cane and staring at his white board. “So, how’s your case going?” he asked, propping a hip on House’s desk and glancing over what Greg had already written on the board:  
  
 **nausea | internal bleeding | abnormal weight loss | kidney failure**  
  
“Not as well as I would’ve hoped- I thought at first it was sarcoidosis, but the prednisone doesn’t seem to be working for very long. So I’m trying a different corticosteroid, but I’m not holding out hope,” House explained to his friend.  
  
“Well, it sounds like it’s engineered to fight you,” Wilson commented offhandedly. House’s eyes lit up at the possibility, but just then, the PA announced “Doctor House to ER STAT. Doctor House to ER STAT.” The two men exchanged concerned looks, then James helped House up and followed him out the door.  
  
*****  
  
When they got down to the ER, it was chaos, but the normal insanity of any ER seemed pale in comparison to the franticness surrounding the small group of fighters currently seated in one of the clinic rooms. Giles had a hand on Buffy’s shoulders, though her eyes were closed and her skin seemed even more ashen and translucent since the last time Greg had seen her. Alissa had Faith in her arms, rocking her back and forth like a child, murmuring soothing nonsense to her as the other brunette moaned in pain.  
  
“What happened?” House demanded brusquely as he gently pulled Giles to one side to get a better look at Buffy.  
  
“We thought the new medication was working, but Buffy woke up this morning complaining that her stomach hurt and she had rashes on her chest and arms near the adrenals. I went to look in on Faith and found her coughing up blood with purple spots on her legs before she went like this- half awake and half asleep,” Alissa explained, showing the spots to House.  
  
House frowned in thought then looked back at Wilson. “You may’ve been on to something there, Jimmy,” he commented before grabbing a passing nurse and demanding a private room for his two patients.  
  
*****  
  
Once the two Slayers were settled into their room, House sat Rupert and Alissa down in a nearby conference room with tea for Giles and coffee laced with whiskey for Alissa. “Now, could either of you tell me about any vaccinations or shots either women received as teenagers or adults? Knowing their healing abilities, I’d personally aim closer to their teen years than not,” House explained.  
  
“I can only think of one serious time apiece for each of them,” Giles started hesitantly. “I injected Buffy for her Cruciamentum and Faith was shot with a dart while evading Council forces a few years back.”  
  
“So, if I remember what Mrs. MacKenzie here told me, you injected your Slayer with unknown muscle relaxants and adrenaline suppressors provided to you by the Council, and a group of Watchers shot Faith. My question now is how do you know that all you were giving Miss Summers was relaxants and suppressors? You told me that night that the Council had already had issues with you in the past, mainly about letting Buffy have friends helping her out.”  
  
Rupert’s eyes widened in growing horror as Alissa jumped up, pulling her cell phone out and walking towards the front of the hospital. “I’m going to call Joe,” she explained. “You boys keep my sisters alive.”  
  
*****  
  
“I know you guys have managed a little better organization since that psycho Immortal last year. I just need any medical documentation that you might have in the archives on the Slayer side. I would say start with the 70s or 80s and then up to the present, then try working your way back if you don’t find anything by then.”  
  
“Alissa, what exactly do you think you’re going to find?” Joe asked, having put the phone on speakerphone while he shuffled through his papers, trying to figure out when they’d moved the medical files and where.  
  
“I’m not entirely sure, but I think that the old Council might have had an idea or plan for how to control the Slayers. I just don’t know if it started when Buffy started being too stubborn for them to handle or maybe if they’d found out about Nikki Wood and her son. The old Council was a bunch of fucking bastards; there was more than one reason why I didn’t really let on about moving to Sunnydale to help out. All I can suggest is to get some of the junior minions on it and get back to me with an answer when you can,” she asked, slamming her phone shut and stalking back inside.  
  
She stood outside the room where Buffy and Faith were hooked up to beeping machines and just watched over them, praying desperately.  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile, House was back in his office, pulling up any information he had in his books on vasculitic disorders. Most of the women’s basic symptoms could be any number of disorders, but between Faith’s cough and purple spotting and Buffy’s stomachache and rashes, he’d narrowed it down to two main possibilities: Henoch-Schonlein purpura or Wegerer’s granulomatosis. He was writing out the symptoms of both of either side of his white board when Alissa burst in excitedly, phone in hand. She glanced at the chart then walked over and wiped all the symptoms off.  
  
“I had just gotten started, but I’ll get right back to it once you move out of the way,” he grumbled.  
  
“Why? There’s no need to guess anymore- it’s both of them. Joe found information in the archives that proved the old Council had started testing a kill switch of sorts on Potentials after they found out about what Nikki Wood had been doing while she was a Slayer back in the 70s. Dawson said one of the head geneticists on the project was a man by the name of Dr. Khan Singh. One of the other researchers on the project even said that Dr. Singh had made a comment once that he’d hoped the Slayer endeavor could be another successful example of what good The Chrysalis Project could do.”  
  
House frowned in thought. “Do you have any idea what he might have meant by that? Another experiment he might have been involved in?”  
  
Alissa shrugged. “I’m not sure. I found information that the daughter of one of the other scientists is still around and is willing to talk to me. I’m going to fly down and try and talk to her- apparently Terri Lincoln lives in Nevada with her father,” she said with a grin. “I think this might be our first big break. If she can tell me where Dr. Singh is now, we might be able to get things back to normal- or, at least as normal as the Scooby Gang ever gets. House, you’re a fucking genius!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and kissing him enthusiastically.  
  
Greg was understandably enjoying the kiss from the beautiful brunette when he heard the door open behind them and a very familiar sigh from his own brunette.  
  
They stepped apart, House turning a proud face towards Cuddy. “Yes? We’ve figured out how to help these two little Amazons and Alissa wanted to thank me personally. She may give you millions, but I just got tongue.”  
  
Alissa rolled her eyes, sighed and shook her head when she saw the look on Cuddy’s face. “House, quit being such an ass!”  
  
“But, I’m so good at it, especially when you’re the one who asked me to-“ he rejoined enthusiastically until Alissa held up her hand for silence.  
  
“I’m going to fly out this afternoon to see what, if anything, this Dr. Lincoln knows. In the meantime, might I suggest that you put what I left for you in your office to good use so that Dr. Cuddy won’t feel so prone to flaying you alive?” she suggested as she walked out, closing the door behind her.  
  
“What did she mean by that?” Cuddy demanded, following House as he walked into his office and shut the connecting door behind her. She didn’t trust the look that had come into House’s eyes after Mrs. MacKenzie had mentioned having left something for him. She knew Greg had had other lovers after her- Stacy, for example- but seeing him start to rekindle the fling he’d had with Alissa seemed to hurt worse for some reason. Right now, though, House appeared to be ignoring her while he closed the blinds in his office and, if she wasn’t mistaken, locking the door as well.  
  
“House, what is going on?” she demanded again, then turned five shades of red when Greg pulled a pair of leather bound handcuffs, a set of keys and a note out of the box on his desk. Grabbing the note from him while he stood there grinning, Lisa read:  
  
 _House-  
  
Put these to good use at least once before you two leave for the day. I’m leaving the keys to my town house with you to use until I get back. And don’t worry if she’s a screamer too; the house is well insulated. Enjoy yourselves.  
  
-Alissa_  
  
Cuddy took a deep breath before looking up and staring Greg in the face. “So, am I supposed to know how to use those on you?” she wondered aloud as his grin got wider.  
  
“Nope.”  
  
*****  
  
Alissa smiled as she sipped her drink on the plane and looked over the information provided on Dr. Lincoln. The daughter of Gary and Roberta Lincoln, she’d followed in her parents’ scientific footsteps, getting a degree in genetics. Her mother had passed away soon after 9-11, but her father was still alive and kicking in Nevada. Alissa just hoped they could point her in the right direction- the girls were starting to fade faster.  
  
She stepped off the plane and almost gasped at the wall of heat and humidity at Las Vegas airport. _You’re getting soft, old girl. You used to deal with worse in Mesopotamia when you were younger!_ she thought with a shake of her head as she headed to get her car. She followed the directions given to a nice house in a quiet suburb of Vegas. She knocked on the door, only to have it answered by Dr. Lincoln herself. Terri let her in after Alissa explained about having some questions regarding her late mother’s research.  
  
“Please excuse us,” Terri said once they’d both sat down, iced tea in hand. “My father is napping right now, but he should be up soon, and I’m sure he’ll be able to answer any questions you have about Mom that I might not know as much about. What about her work did you want to know?”  
  
“Well, she mentions having worked on something called The Chrysalis Project that was based out of a remote part of India, at least what little information on the project I could find had to say about it. A man who was with that project, a Dr. Khan Singh, apparently worked with a company I sometimes work with back in the 80s on what looks like it might have been a similar project. However, no one seems to know where he might be doing his research now after he left that endeavor with the WIC,” Alissa informed her.  
  
“The reason you won’t be able to find him is that he took some of his followers and stole a prototype of a sleeps ship almost 15 years ago. My wife and I got there just in time to watch it take off,” an older gentleman commented as he walked into the living room.  
  
“Dad, this is Alissa MacKenzie. She was asking about some of the projects you and Mom used to work on,” Terri said as Gary shook Alissa’s hand.  
  
“It’s been years and I remember you trying to stay in the background last time, but it’s good to see you again,” Gary said with a smile.  
  
Alissa just stared at him in confusion. “I’m sorry, but I’m sure you have me confused with someone else,” she insisted.  
  
Terri looked back and forth between Alissa and her father, who had yet to release hands. “Well, let me go check on dinner and I’ll just let you two catch up.”  
  
After she left, Alissa tried again. “Mr. Lincoln, I’m sorry, but-“  
  
“I could never forget a face like yours, even if it was only for a few minutes on the _Enterprise_. How did you manage to stay on Earth after they left without compromising the timeline?”  
  
Alissa latched onto the one word she recognized from the last time she’s seen her adopted mother in 1880s San Francisco. “You mean, you met me in the future? On Captain Picard’s ship?”  
  
Gary frowned, realizing his mistake. “Damn! So I’ve already met you, but you’re linear so you haven’t yet, which would explain why you tried to blend into the background when I saw you. The Captain of the _Enterprise_ , however, is Kirk, not Picard.”  
  
Alissa shrugged. “I’m used to chaos and confusion when it comes to timelines and time travel. It’s a long and involved story I’d love to go into with you at a later date, but my main concern right now is how to get or make the antidote for the genetic time bomb Dr. Singh helped create. Two of my good friends are dying and most of his research was lost when the WIC was bombed by terrorists.” She sighed and started pacing around the room. “I don’t know what to do- I have the best diagnostician in the country on this one and they still might die. If only Khan hadn’t left with his notes.”  
  
Gary merely smiled as he walked over to a nearby alcove. “Well then, how about something better? Such as the research he probably worked off of to make his genetic virus in the first place- his late mother’s notes on breeding programmable superhumans,” he informed her, tapping a code onto the recessed panel. He handed the paperwork inside to Alissa. “I’m not surprised you’re trying to help them as much as I have- I’ve met your kind before,” he said, looking her in the eye.  
  
Alissa fought the urge to squirm nervously like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Really? And what is my kind?” she countered with more bravado than she currently felt.  
  
“You’re a Q- an advanced race similar to the one that trained and put me here back in the 1960s to help Earth get through the nuclear age without killing themselves.”  
  
Alissa had the irrational urge to blurt out “But it didn’t work out so well the second time around” but she had no idea why she’d would think so. Instead, she just stared at him in pure shock. “You know you can’t tell anyone- Earth isn’t ready for alien contact yet,” she cautioned.  
  
“Oh, I know that, which is why they also have Torchwood keeping things in check in Europe,” he replied as his daughter returned with fresh drinks.  
  
“Did you get the information you needed from Dad?” she asked, indicating the folder in Alissa’s hand.  
  
“Yes I did. This trip has been quite informative. Thank you again for all your help.”  
  
*****  
  
Cuddy flipped over onto her back, her arm flung over her face, trying to catch her breath. She felt Greg move above her and swept her hand to the side to look at him braced over her on his arms, his hips trapping the sheet between them at waist level.  
  
“Where did you learn that trick?” she gasped, arching up and moaning when House simply rotated his hips against hers.  
  
“My secret,” he said with a grin as he lowered his head to suck on one of her nipples, making her writhe under him again. He switched breasts for a moment before looking down on her. He took in her rumpled hair, lips beestung from his kisses and the tell-tale flush across her upper chest showing she’d been well and truly fucked. “Have I ever told you that you have some very beautiful breasts?” he asked her.  
  
“I do believe you might have mentioned it a time or two,” she replied wryly.  
  
“Well, it’s still true,” he affirmed, moving aside just enough to pull the sheets away before nestling himself back where he’d just been.  
  
“Oh no, cowboy- no more teasing from you,” Lisa said with a grin, her hand gliding down his hip towards her goal.  
  
“Who said I was just teasing?” he said, returning her grin.  
  
*****  
  
Greg walked into Faith’s side of the room the next morning whistling, which set Faith off laughing. “You got laid but good, Doc,” she said, still chuckling.  
  
“What can I say- some things you’ve just got to share. And this wouldn’t be one of them,” he responded with a grin of his own as he looked over her vitals. He glanced up when Alissa walked in, a thick file folder in her hand.  
  
“Was your trip a success?” he asked.  
  
“Yes and no. It looks like Dr. Singh….skipped town a few years back and the consensus is that he’s dead. Dr. Lincoln’s mother, however, had worked with him and his mother and was able to provide me with her notes about genetic engineering, though I haven’t had a chance to do more than glance over it as I copied it for you.” She tilted her head to the side with a grin. “I take it my gift was well received?”  
  
House sighed. “Yes, thank you,” he admitted grudgingly.  
  
Alissa just kept grinning as she picked up some of the stray thoughts and images he was projecting. “Glad to know I’m not the only one to enjoy what acoustics my shower has to offer,” she rejoined as she walked out to the sound of Faith laughing again.  
  
  
  
Author’s Note: I just want to thank Greg Cox again for writing the duo of books known as The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh. If you’d like to know more about The Chrysalis Project that he mentions in his book as a basis for where Khan originally came from, go to http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Chrysalis_Project.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR15  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 6/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander/Star Trek/Labyrinth  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Now What?” for House- but Thirteen hasn’t left yet  
 **Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House  
 **Author’s Note** : So sorry this chapter took so long to get posted- first my muse didn’t want to cooperate and then real life intervened…things have calmed down a bit so here’s the latest part…enjoy!  
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
Greg nibbled on the stem of his glasses as he made notes from the study that Doctor Sarina Kaur had done. Twisted though she seemed to have been, her basic research was sound. He felt the press of time edging closer; Alissa had told him her Watcher contact had found information on the antidote for whatever this was. No specific formula evidence had been found as of yet, except that there were notes that indicated that the virus had been engineered to kill the Slayers by the time they hit 30. _As if I don’t have enough to think about,_ he thought with a frown. _Of course, yesterday definitely helped distract myself and Cuddy!_ He was remembering all the interesting positions he’d been able to get into, since Alissa had been able to make another small batch of that pain medication again and just the sheer bliss of having been able to have a day off with Cuddy when James wandered into his office.  
  
“Any luck on the research?” he asked, lounging on House’s ottoman.  
  
“Not sure at this point- Alissa’s trying what she can on her end, but I’ve got the upper hand on medical expertise, obviously. We had to put them into a medically induced coma after Miss Summers coded the night of the crane collapse.” House wasn’t about to tell his friend that the coma was as much magical as medical. He’d had enough to deal with in the past few days and explaining how life really was to Jimmy wasn’t high on his list right now. “It seems to be slowing down the progress of whatever this is,” he commented distractedly.  
  
Wilson looked over at him sadly. “You mean when you lost the patient?” he asked softly.  
  
“Yeah,” Greg said with a sigh, then smiled. “But I finally got Cuddy into bed again- and this time it might actually stick.”  
  
James sighed and rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics. If he hadn’t had Lisa’s rather…physical declaration of her relationship with House, he would have passed it off as another one of Greg’s pranks. He looked over as Alissa walked into the office and handed some paperwork to Greg.  
  
“We need to start trying to find out what other research Doctor Khan was doing. It might be the clue we need to find out where the antidote might be stashed. I have Jareth working on it while I came down to talk to you and Dr. Cuddy. We might need to take a little field trip for a couple of days and I-“ she started to explain before House cut her off.  
  
“So, you want to fly off while your two sisters, as you call them, are in comas that you apparently need help to maintain-“ he demanded.  
  
“Willow can handle it just fine, thank you,” she retorted. “And I do give a damn about them- that’s why I want to find out how to get them better as soon as possible,” she yelled back.  
  
“Sorry to bother you, House. I’ll catch up with you later,” James commented as he headed out of the line of fire.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry, Jimmy. I’m just gonna go tell Mommy that Alissa won’t play nice with the other kids,” House said sarcastically as he headed out the door, Alissa hot on his heels.  
  
“Don’t be ridiculous, House,” she hissed, once they were in the elevator. “That was totally uncalled for- you know damned well I care deeply for and about those girls.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, you gave the hospital a ton of money to make me work on this. We KNOW! Next?” he asked, holding the door to Cuddy’s office for her and bowing to her insolently.  
  
Alissa held onto her temper by a thread- she knew the best course of action was what she was proposing. _Why couldn’t he see that?_ she thought as she turned to Cuddy to focus on her rather than her immediate desire to strangle House.  
  
“Doctor Cuddy, first, let me say I truly appreciate you lending me Doctor House for this case,” she told the younger woman.  
  
“It was my pleasure,” Lisa said with a smile.  
  
“God! Are you two gonna go paint each other’s nails and whisper about boys next? Although, naked pillow fighting wouldn’t be too bad,” House commented brightly.  
  
“Shut up, House!” they both said, then turned to look at each other and grinned.  
  
“Okay, I’ll just sit here and shut up,” he muttered, plopping down onto Cuddy’s couch.  
  
Ignoring her lover for a moment, Cuddy turned to Alissa and asked what she could do for her.  
  
“I was looking over research from the mother of one of the doctors that apparently engineered this…virus and I might have found another of the research facilities that Dr Khan worked at. Though my corporate expertise may ease things a little, I would still need someone there with me with medical knowledge and specifically about this case,” Alissa explained.  
  
“So, you’ll be needing Doctor House to go with you where? And for how long?” Lisa asked, pulling out her datebook and calmly flipping through it, though Greg noted her hands were shaking slightly.  
  
“We think he may have had a funded lab on an island off the coast of Fiji- a day or two, four at most,” Alissa commented as she looked down at her PDA for confirmation, missing the stricken look the other woman gave her.  
  
“I just don’t know if the hospital can afford for me to be gone that long, big endowment and all or not,” House said offhandedly as he got up and stood next to Cuddy, placing his hand over hers.  
  
Alissa smirked at House, though she didn’t miss the byplay between the two doctors. “Well, pleasediscuss it between the two of you and let me know. I’m going to go see how the girls are doing for now.”  
  
Cuddy stood up and glared at House the moment the door closed behind Alissa. “Fiji? For four days? Wow, you don’t waste any time bouncing between women, do you, House?” she bit out.  
  
House sighed as he ran his hand down his face. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Haven’t you figured out yet that I love **you**?” he asked, sitting down in her chair and pulling her onto his lap, arms wrapped around her. She squirmed a bit, trying to get away, still pissed off. “Keep that up, Cuddy, and we’ll have another way to end this argument real soon,” he informed her.  
  
Lisa’s involuntary glance towards her glass fronted door made him grin. “You wouldn’t!” she hissed.  
  
“Sure, I would- once I closed the blinds, of course. What I meant, though, is that I wouldn’t plan on going on this little research jaunt unless you got to come with me. Your daughter can spend a few days with Grandma and you get a chance to relax under the guise of a business trip,” he explained as he pulled her closer to lean her head back on his shoulder.  
  
She looked up at him. “If you had this figured out already, why not just say so?”  
  
He looked down at her, planting a quick kiss on her lips. “Because it really wasn’t until I saw the look on your face just now that I figured out how to get you to relax AND show you MacKenzie was firmly in the past,” he told her, standing up and grabbing his cane. Taking her hand and heading towards the door, he said “Now, let’s go tell the nice investor about our counteroffer.”  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile, Alissa was pacing back and forth in front of the room with Buffy and Faith for a while before finally convincing herself to sit down and work on other things. She was so engrossed that she didn’t hear her name called at first, then looked up to see who had called her. “Remy! Or, it has to be Doctor Hadley by now,” she said, getting up and pulling the other woman into a hug.  
  
“Yes, it is, actually. I work here under Doctor House. So, what brings you to Princeton-Plainsboro?”  
  
Alissa sat back down and motioned Remy to do the same. “Well, I’m here because of House as well- he’s treating two of my friends. I think I took you to meet them while we were both in grad school, remember?”  
  
Remy put a hand to her mouth. “Oh goddess! Faith and Buffy are here?” she asked, glancing over to the ICU room, then back to Alissa, horrified. “But, Buffy hates hospitals!”  
  
The Immortal nodded. “I know. We tried to keep it an outpatient consulting kind of thing, but we had to bring them in a few days ago when their conditions worsened and then Buffy coded that one night you guys had that big triage scene and then they put them into a magical coma, so…” Alissa tried to explain, fumbling with her hands like she didn’t know what she was supposed to do with them. _They’re dead; they’re dying and it’s all my fault_ repeated like a litany in her head. _I’ve been around for a while now- let me go, not them. What else do I have to give humanity?_  
  
She looked up from staring at her hands in her lap to see Thirteen on her knees in front of her, regarding her softly. “They’ll be fine- House is the best in the business,” she insisted, taking Alissa’s hands in hers.  
  
“I know,” she agreed with a watery chuckle. “That’s why I wanted to borrow him in the first place,” she said, a tear sliding down her cheek.  
  
Remy reached up and thumbed the tear off her cheek then leaned closer and kissed Alissa softly, if only to get her to smile again. This was the longest she’d known the older woman not to smile and she remembered kissing her having helped back when they’d enjoyed each other in grad school.  
  
Alissa hummed in the back of her throat as she deepened the kiss just the slightest bit. She’d forgotten how good Remy could kiss. It was definitely different than the way her male lovers kissed, but it wasn’t just the being female part. Hell, her and Amanda had found their way into bed together a few times, but it was something about being a mortal that put a spark of urgency into their lovemaking or kissing. And from the hint of desperation in her kiss, Alissa guessed her friend’s quest against Huntington’s hadn’t gone as she’d hoped.  
  
Just then, she heard the unmistakable sound of House’s cane followed by that one commenting “See what happens when we leave her alone, Cuddy? Lesbian orgies break out, and me without my camera!”  
  
Alissa felt about ready to jump up and throttle him again, diagnosis or not at that point when she felt someone familiar coming closer.  
  
 ** _Don’t let him get to you,_ a ghrá, ** Jareth told her telepathically. **_I think I’ve found out where Khan was next, and you won’t believe who he was working for,_** he explained as he got off the elevator and headed toward her.  
  
*****  
  
Cuddy was following behind House and would have bumped right into him if he hadn’t put his cane out at the same moment he made his comment. She looked around him to see Thirteen rubbing Alissa’s arm as that one stood and glared daggers at House before smiling at someone coming out of the elevators behind her and House. She turned to see a man with tied back blond hair and blue green eyes grin as Alissa ran over and leapt into his arms, kissing him deeply.  
  
House, never knowing when it was a good time to shut up, commented “Well, Thirteen, looks like you’re not the only one here who bats for both teams,” prompting Cuddy to reach up and smack him on the back of the head with her file folder while Alissa held on to her husband and laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR18  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 7/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander/Star Trek/Labyrinth  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Now What?” for House  
 **Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House  
 **Author’s Note** : My life around the holidays took a turn for the insanely hectic and been dealing with some personal problems from the start of this year, but I officially have this one FINISHED!!! (oh, and yes, this chapter contains a teaser for the next story in the series.) Enjoy :)  
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
House leaned back in his seat on the plane and watched Jareth and Alissa as they discussed something together, going over some the papers he’d brought with him. Greg had looked Alissa up in the bits and pieces of downtime he’d had while trying to work on her two friends. He knew why she’d stayed the same cool headed, yet hot blooded woman he’d known fifteen years ago, but she’d apparently been going through some downtime when they’d met, since her travels for the next few years had coincided with Buffy’s time in Sunnydale. He’d followed her apparently helping get the survivors out and to the regions that needed them the most: LA, Cleveland, New York, DC, Miami. He’d even asked Willow why those cities had been important and she’d replied that most vampires liked big cities and that it was harder to kill and remain inconspicuous in smaller towns. Alissa had gone back to running her company after that, with the biggest news in the past couple years being her meeting and marrying Jareth Kingsley, who had taken his wife’s name. And if that wasn’t unusual enough, apparently he had a teenage daughter from another relationship, though Amber wasn’t photographed that often.  
  
“So, how did you two meet again?” Cuddy asked them as she walked over and sat next to Greg.  
  
Alissa leaned back against her husband and looked up at him with a grin. “Kismet, wouldn’t you say, love? We met when I was in LA for a conference with Wolfram and Hart a few years ago. Turns out I already knew Amber from their internship program. Very bright young lady,” she explained.  
  
“You would think so,” Jareth murmured with a grin as he picked up the explanation. “We found we shared a lot of common interests and business connections and well, I didn’t want to ever let her go.”  
  
“So where is your daughter right now?” House asked bluntly.  
  
“With her tutors. I have always been a very private man, wouldn’t you say _a ghrá_?” Jareth replied, glancing down at her.  
  
Alissa chuckled. “I would say it’s more Jean-Luc’s style, but not for a few years yet.”  
  
House felt like he was only getting half of the conversation, but didn’t have time to ask, as the pilot announced their final descent into the airport in Fiji.  
  
******  
  
Cuddy glanced around the oceanside room that had been reserved for her and Greg. Alissa and her husband were in a cabin nearby, but they still had some privacy. She heard the sound of a cane on hardwood floors and felt House come up behind her and rest his chin on the top of her head.  
  
“Considering we can’t do anything about this case until tomorrow, my medical opinion as your doctor is for you to relax, stop worrying, and come join me skinny dipping,” he said with a smile in his voice.  
  
Lisa turned her face around to look at him in surprise, which House took advantage of to start unbuttoning her blouse and sliding off her skirt. Grabbing her close as he tossed his cane to the side, he kissed her deeply, threading his tongue into her mouth. He swallowed her moans as he palmed her breasts and began teasing her nipples through her bra. House whined in disappointment as she stepped away, then moaned when she slid down to her knees. Sliding off his board shorts, Cuddy took him in her mouth, causing his eyes to roll back in his head as he clutched the door frame for support.  
  
“Okay, I think we can skip the skinny dipping part for now,” he gasped out as Cuddy chuckled.  
  
******  
  
The evening breeze ruffled the curtains of the cabin, bringing with it the scent of tropical flowers and the saltiness of the ocean. “You know, you can always take a break like this from time to time,” he said, lounging back against the headboard and trying to recover.  
  
Alissa curled up against him. “I would, my love, but I only have a few years left with this identity. I want everything in order for when Amber takes over for a while.”  
  
Jareth kissed her on the forehead as he drew her close. “I think this time it’s affecting you more than usual- you have all these people that you’re friends with now. My suggestion would be that when we’re done with all of this, and Buffy and Faith are better, that you have a small get together for those of our friends that will want to say goodbye, as it were. What do you think about that?”  
  
She mulled it over in her head, chin in her hand. “Well, I know I only have to give my new identity to Rupert and the Scoobies should all know in short order. Mac already knows what I’m doing and has said he’ll try and help out with whatever Charlie’s new identity for me doesn’t cover.”  
  
He husband smiled as he took a sip of wine from the glass on the table nearby. “It certainly helps having a cop for a Watcher. How is Detective Taylor doing?”  
  
Alissa shrugged. “As good a job as one can hope. He’s got an easy job of it- he can keep track of me in the media reports, and I always copy him on the information on the rare occasions I take a head. It’s been working out well so far.”  
  
******  
  
House stepped off the plane, helping Cuddy out of the tiny eight seat Cessna. Alissa was working on the flight paperwork as the two doctors looked over the facility that seemed to take up most of the small island. Alissa walked up to the keypad and pricked her finger on the spot indicated.  
  
 _*Welcome, Mrs. MacKenzie. Ventilation, computer and all systems will be up and running momentarily. Enjoy your stay.*_ the computer announced in a feminine voice.  
  
“How does this place recognize you? I thought you said you hadn’t heard of this place before yesterday,” Cuddy questioned.  
  
“Simple,” Alissa explained with a heavy sigh, “It’s keyed in to the world network of all of Wolfram and Hart’s properties and since I’m on the list with the LA branch, I pretty much have access to anything in their network.”  
  
“And yet, the papers say this place is run and paid for by WRH Limited,” House put in with a smirk.  
  
“Hide in plain sight- that’s always been their damn motto,” Alissa muttered as she pressed her palm onto the indent screen once they got inside, turning on the computer holoscreens.  
  
“Computer, start information search,” she ordered while pulling out her tablet.  
  
 _*Ready*_ the computer announced.  
  
“Search for any information and documentation on Dr. Khan Noonien Singh’s experiments with genetics, specifically genetic kill switches. Interface and download all information found to my data pad.”  
  
 _*Acknowledged. Would you prefer results in verbal or text forms or display both?*_ the computer announced.  
  
“Text,” she requested as she scrolled through the information as it came in. Glancing up at the rest of the group, she said, “Jareth, could you and Dr. Cuddy go down to sublevel two? It looks like that’s where most of Khan’s research took place. I’ll have House help me translate some more of this while the two of you look for the information we need.”  
  
“You know, she thinks you’re trying to use this idyllic paradise to seduce me,” House informed her after the others had left.  
  
Alissa laughed as she looked over the information on screen. “Dr. Cuddy has nothing to worry about,” she stated simply. “Jareth and I have been married for a long time, and we enjoy it.”  
  
“ _How_ long, cuz you say it like the engagement and wedding were just a cover,” House responded.  
  
“It was. We’ve been married since ’92, and before you complain that I was married when we slept together, Jareth knew I couldn’t claim his as my husband back in ’95,” she explained with a frown.   
  
She couldn’t transmit any of the data she was receiving until they got back to Fiji, but it looked like they might find what they needed sooner than she thought. She was getting ready to head down to rendezvous with Jareth and Lisa when the computer beeped.  
  
 _*Would you like to review the other research done by Doctor Singh or should I shut down?*_ it asked.  
  
The doctor and the Immortal shared startled glances. “Yes, display other research- text only,” Alissa requested, then cursed fluidly in Gaelic as the information scrolled across the screen. She grabbed House by the hand and practically dragged him towards the elevator when her phone rang.  
  
“Yes?” she bit out as she answered then listened to what was being said on the other end. “Yeah, hun, I just found the paperwork for it myself. Be down in a sec.”  
  
******  
  
Alissa pulled her punch onto the steel support beam, since Cuddy had not been informed about the Slayer aspect of the case. “Those goddamn bastards. I knew they’d known about Angel because of the Shanshu paperwork, but to try and create a malleable puppet for them? I’d kill Holland Manners right now if he wasn’t already dead,” she spat out to her husband as she paced back and forth in front of the storage tanks. Most of them were empty or broken, but there was one that had a familiar face staring out at her, floating in the fluid. Apparently the vitals hadn’t been maintained for the Angel clones when the facility had been abandoned.  
  
“So this company you sometimes work with did this to a friend of yours?” Cuddy asked incredulously.  
  
“They used to be really bad back when Holland Manners ran it. It’s not the same now that Angel’s been cleaning house,” she explained as they all headed back upstairs with the paperwork on the virus. She handed the printout to House as they got back in the plane.  
  
“Here’s what we need to create the cure for them. Let me know if you need any help,” she told him.   
  
Jareth looked over at her as she ran through the pre-flight checklist. “What are you going to do with the information on the clones?” he asked.  
  
“The paperwork recorded said something about that one of the clones had been placed, not knowing his origin, right before Khan disappeared. I just need to find him, but right now, let’s head home so the girls can get well.”


	8. Epilogue

**Title** : Prognosis Unknown  
 **Author** : Christy  
 **Rating** : FR13  
 **Disclaimer** : I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit.  I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with  
 **Genre** : Gen/AU Romance (Huddy)  
 **Part** : 8/8  
 **Fandoms** : Angel/House/Highlander/Star Trek/Labyrinth/In Death  
 **Timeline** : After Angel’s series finale; After “Now What?” for House; Takes place during “Conspiracy in Death”, for the In Death series.   
**Series** : Alissa’s Interests  
 **Summary** : Alissa has a case for House   
  
  
**NOTE: Just made a graphic for this story- not the best graphic designer in the world, but I felt that people needed to see what my mental image of Alissa was....the picture used for her likeness belongs to Jonathon Bowser (jonathonart.com) and not me**  
  
 **January 2059**  
  
House abhorred pomp and circumstance at these medical fundraisers, but he knew it was for a good cause. If not for Dr. Westley Friend, he would have never regained the full use of his leg. It had been over thirty years, but sometimes he still went to grab his cane when he got up in the morning. Though, he was thankful he still got to wake up next to his wife after over forty years together. He watched her wander over to him, followed behind by a younger couple who looked familiar. Lisa’s hair may have been snow white by this time, and her body a little curvier from the children, but to him, she was just as beautiful as the day they’d married.  
  
“Getting sentimental in your old age?” the redhead asked with a chuckle as she hugged the older man.  
  
His brow wrinkled as he tried to piece together where he knew her from, holding her at arm’s length to try and place it. Then she smirked at him and he remembered.  
  
“Alissa! Well, you’re both looking well,” he said.  
  
“Actually, it’s Katelyn and Jared McCaffery now,” she confided in a whisper.  
  
“Ah, I thought I’d heard you were back in town from Willow. So, I hear you’re one of the sponsors for this little shindig,” he commented.  
  
“Yes. My friend Louise Dimatto suggested this was a wise investment,” Katelyn replied as she glanced over at Lisa’s outfit. “By the way, Dr. House, I love the outfit. Is it a Leonardo?”  
  
Lisa smiled. “Yes it is. My granddaughter took me over to his studio as a birthday present. I’m not the only one wearing him tonight, either. Eve Dallas, the nice cop over there with her gorgeous husband, is always wearing his designs,” she explained.  
  
Katelyn glanced over to see Eve and Roarke talking with Dr. Tina Wo, who didn’t seem to be enjoying whatever they were discussing. Turning back to the older couple, she asked “So, what have you been up to since I left? I know the Immortality bit took some getting used to when I told you, wouldn’t you say, Lisa?”  
  
“Yes, that’s true. And then when Willow and Faith came by to tell us that Rachel was supposed to be tapped as a Potential, well, I was glad for my support system. I had Greg, our two boys and our younger daughter to help keep me sane. Actually, I think I see one of my granddaughter’s friends over there- Mavis Freestone and Corrine get on so well.”  
  
Greg smirked. “That’s how Lisa got this outfit- Corrine took her to see Mavis, not knowing she was dating Leonardo. That Mavis has so much color on her all the time, it’s blinding.”  
  
“You mean the little sprite over there with the bright blue hair?” Jared asked in amusement.  
  
“That would be the one,” House agreed as Jared took Lisa’s arm and House took Katelyn’s. “Now, shall we go into dinner so you can catch me up on what you’ve been doing, and I’ll tell you about those Scoobies you’re so fond of.”  
  
Katelyn laughed. “It sounds like a good idea to me. I want to hear all about the kids and grandkids and how life’s been for everyone.”


End file.
